The Canon G10 Digital Camera

I think that there comes a point in time when we have
to get off the pot and make a decision. It doesn’t matter if you are buying a rifle,
scope, or even a computer. I needed to stop procrastinating and make a decision
on the purchase of a compact digital camera, but this was easier said than done.

The average consumer of compact cameras wants
something that is small and compact (obviously) and will sacrifice most of the
features of a full blown digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR). They are
novices, not advanced amateurs or professionals; they are average people whose
interest in photography is limited to taking good photographs with the greatest
of ease and there is nothing wrong with that.

There are a few of us, however, who are not satisfied
with simple point and shoot cameras. For the convenience of not having to carry
a large digital single lens reflex around with a satchel full of lenses, we compromise. As I have said many times, life is filled with
compromise; it is just a fact that we have to learn to live with.

If you read the camera reviews (and there are many)
you will quickly learn that the two leading compact digital cameras are the
Canon G10 and the Lumix LX3 and quite frankly, the LX3 seemed to fair better. As
they spoke in techno lingo, I soon became lost as a babe in the woods. My
confusion level increased when one commentator described the lens of the LX3 as
“ambitious.” I concede that the lens on the LX3 is a bit faster than the G10's
and its 24mm wide angle feature provides a greater field of view, but with a
paltry 60mm optical zoom capability, I hardly think that this an ambitious lens.

Although the Canon G10 may not measure up to the
alleged photographic standards of the LX3, I opine that the versatility of the
G10's 28mm to 140mm zoom provides a significant and superior advantage over the
LX3. Personally, I think that Panasonic shot themselves in the foot (maybe both
feet), but at the end of the day sales figures will determine if I am right or
wrong and I really don’t care.

Both the LX3 and the G10 are positioned as a
transitional camera between the everyday compact digital camera and your run of
the mill DSLR cameras. These two cameras take great photographs and are easy to
operate, but the factor that sets them apart from the other compacts is their
purchase price. However, you gain manual control capability (in addition to automatic focus and exposure) that is usually
offered only with DSLR cameras and a host of other features. Some may say that the
LX3 and the G10 cameras are neither fish nor fowl and I must agree.

It was not too difficult to choose the Canon PowerShot
G10. The G10 boasts 14.7 megapixels (as if it really matters) and provides a
wide variety of both automatic and fully manual operational functions. The 28 to
140 (5x) optical zoom lens allows you to take advantage of most photographic
opportunities and if you have ever wondered if gnats have hairs, the G10 will
focus all the way down to 1cm to answer your question. If your cup of tea
includes digital movie capabilities, you can record for about an hour using a
4GB card.

The available ISO selections range from 80-3200 and
shutter speeds are available from 15 seconds to 1/4000 of a second. You can
shoot as many as 400 (non-flash) photos on a single charge. The camera measures
4.30” in width, 3.06 inches tall and 1.81 inches thick and weighs less than one
pound with its high-capacity battery. It will easily fit into most coat pockets.

Optional accessories include a Conversion Lens
Adapter that allows you to attach a Tele-Converter lens to the G10 to increase
the focal length to 196mm. The Conversion Lens Adaptor accepts a UV filter, a
polarizing filter and a fluorescent light correction filter. The G10 is also equipped
with an optical viewfinder, a built-in flash and a hot shoe that accepts Canon Speedlite
external flashes.

The Review

Within minutes of its arrival, I opened the G10's
box. I plugged in the battery for a full charge and started looking over the
camera. At first blush I was impressed. Canon was able to create a modern day
camera that is ergonomically designed, but also maintains the retro styling of
older rangefinder cameras, including knurled adjustment knobs.

Illustration courtesy of Canon USA.

My elation quickly turned to irritation after I searched
the box high and low for the memory card. I later learned that Canon does not
include even a basic memory card. I may be overly critical, but in my opinion
that this is reprehensible. Fortunately, when I ordered the camera I also
ordered an 8GB SDHC memory card.

Charging the battery took about an hour. After I
placed it in the camera I hit the “on” button and in about one second the
camera was fully operationally and ready to shoot pictures. For the next 5 days
I fondled my new camera waiting for the memory card to arrive. In disgust, I
finally gave in and drove to my local Costco store, fought the Christmas shopping
crowd and bought two 4GB cards.

The next day was not the best to test my new toy. It was
overcast and even rained a bit, but I thought that if the camera was to perform
to my expectations then photographing in these conditions would give me some
indication of what I could expect during optimal conditions. Initally, I selected
two subjects for this experiment, a pine tree in my back yard and a wooden
Buddha.

I took the first photo of the pine tree while
standing on my deck at full focal length. The second was an indoor photograph
of the Buddha, which was carved from a small log. It is an interesting piece
that was given to me by a couple who I befriended when I lived in Pakistan. I
chose this piece because of the different depths, colors and shadowing
characteristics. I placed the Buddha just underneath a cloth and glass framed
wall hanging because I wanted to include as much color and texture in the photo
as possible. This photo of the Buddha was taken with the G10 mounted on a Bogen (Manfrotto)
tripod.

Then I noticed the sun (yes it finally came out)
setting and its red glow peering through my neighbors pine tree. This was an
image that I wanted to capture, so now we have three.

All photographs were set in the G10's fully automatic
mode for this experiment and no filters were used. The photographs were further
processed by my computer using Google Picasa 3 software. After I was satisfied
with the computer processed image, it was time to put the rubber to the road to
really see the less than professional end result. Humorously, I expected that my
super duper HP 6310 All-in-One printer using 5 year old Epson photo paper would
clearly tell the truth.

The resulting full page images of the pine tree and their
surrounding grasses were beautiful and I was as pleased as punch, especially
given the photographic conditions. However, it was the photo of the Buddha
where I placed my faith in the G10.

The photo was exceptional. The Buddha is painted with
a variety of colors and each and every one of them came true to life in the
finished photographic product. If you look hard, you can even see that the
Buddha is squinting. Maybe the flash was just a little too much for its little
eyes.

In closing, I will say that I highly recommend the
Canon G10. It is easy to use, produces great photos and will afford you with all
the features that you will never need or want in a compact or maybe even a DSLR
camera. I do not know how or even why a clam would be happy, but I am one happy
clam. Neither the Buddha nor the trees were harmed in the course of this
experiment.